


A Too-Smart Pegasus

by arcadian_hiraeth



Series: Miraculous Stories [4]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adrien Agreste Is Sunshine, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir & Chloé Bourgeois Friendship, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir Acts Like a Cat, Bee Chloé Bourgeois | Queen Bee, Bisexual Chloé Bourgeois, Chloé Bourgeois Redemption, F/M, Fox Nathaniel Kurtzberg, Good Chloé Bourgeois, Horse Max Kanté | Pegasus, Marinette Dupain-Cheng Acts Like a Bug, Marinette Dupain-Cheng Knows, Minor Marc Anciel/Nathaniel Kurtzberg, Miraculous Holder Nathaniel Kurtzberg, Post-Reveal Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Protective Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-04
Updated: 2020-02-04
Packaged: 2021-02-27 08:33:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,179
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22374184
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/arcadian_hiraeth/pseuds/arcadian_hiraeth
Summary: Max decides to confront Marinette about a few things. It ends with Kaalki eating a handful of peppermints.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir & Chloé Bourgeois, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir & Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir & Plagg, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Chloé Bourgeois & Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Chloé Bourgeois & Pollen, Kaalki & Max Kanté, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug & Tikki
Series: Miraculous Stories [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1588762
Comments: 19
Kudos: 362





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Marinette swears. Like, a little more than the usual one-word.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Marinette swears, like, a little more than the previous one word.

It was early morning. Adrien was trying to wake up Marinette, though he was failing miserably. Chloé was in the bathroom changing, though the door wasn't completely closed. And he, Nathaniel, was finishing up a bit of inking while he waited for Chloé. The blonde had gotten better at taking so much time in the bathroom, using Marinette's vanity-space to do her own makeup. Doesn't mean she still doesn't hog the bathroom for more than Nathaniel thought anyone could, though.

His hand started to cramp, so he dropped the pen, leaning back against the desk chair. His mind wandered to an increasingly frequent thought, "What if we made an app?"

There was a moment of pregnant pause, so Nathaniel continued, "Marinette and I could design it, and you two could fund it. Only if you wanted, though!"

"Foxie," Chloé said in a tone that made his cheeks flush in sheepishment, "It's a good idea, but _none_ of us know how to make an app."

Adrien stopped trying to rouse Marinette from sleep to add, "And we can't really ask anyone to do it for us, either. They could do some weird thing where it tracks us to find our identities."

He can feel himself frown, "Oh, right."

Guess it's just a hope, then.

* * *

School was... uneventful. Lila still lied, everyone still soaked them up like sponges. By the time lunch rolled around, the group was certain it would be a boring day. Except Markov had flown in front of them before they could leave.

His face-screen looked worried, maybe anxious. "Would you please wait for Max? He wants to confirm something."

The three glanced at Marinette, only accepting after she smiled kindly and nodded, "Of course."

They stayed there for five minutes before the Kanté boy showed up. It wasn't long, but with the robot still there they couldn't talk about their hero-work. Chloé almost wanted to hate the little thing so she would be determined enough to shut it down. But she didn't and if she tried, she'd be regressing further into being a bad person.

Max almost looked nervous, as he walked up the steps. Vaguely, it reminded Marinette of someone walking up to a Queen's throne. But she was no Queen, and Max was not one of her subjects. He clasped his hands behind him, straightening his back and steeling his nerve. "Is... Is Lila lying?"

Oh, thank god. Marinette almost thought he was going to ask if she was Ladybug, since the last two conformations were exactly that. She watched Nathaniel tilt his head in confusion, "How'd you figure it out?"

"Markov alerted me to Mlle Bustier talking to the principle about Lila's disease. A disease that causes her to lie. Constantly. As this is not on her medical file, I asked Markov to run the statistics of that being true. The only results were sociopathy and compulsive lying."

Oh. Well, the compulsive lying thing wasn't new(they figured that was the case) but Lila being a _sociopath?_ The possibility never crossed their mind. Marinette put the little tidbit of information in the back of her mind(for now) and focused on looking like she already knew this. "And what are you going to do about it?"

Max pushed up his glasses, a tick Chloé noticed happened in changes of his emotion or mood, "The probability of successfully alerting everyone of this and them believing me is a slim-to-none 3.26%. I will do as you do and stay quiet, but not supportive."

The blue-black haired girl nodded, pleased. If things kept going this way, the class will soon realize what Lila actually is- a _liar._ And then they can use evidence and their connections to further prove the girl's behavior. The thought made her giddy, a mix of serotonin and adrenaline rushing through her veins. She can't _wait_ until that day comes.

"And one other thing, Marinette."

"Uh, yeah?"

"Are you Ladybug?"

Silence rang through the empty classroom, before Nathaniel burst out in laughter. Adrien followed close behind, though his laugh was much more subdued. Chloé hid her smile behind her hand, watching as Marinette's face morphed into one looking utterly, completely _done._

"Is it really that fucking easy? Really? What's stopping the whole of Paris figuring it out? Nothing, apparently. Absolutely fucking _nothing._ Is the world against me? It that it? Has my shitty luck finally caught up to bite me in the ass?"

Max pushed up his glasses, a little unnerved at hearing Marinette swear. It was a first for him, but there was a 56.89% this confrontation would have profanities. Granted, most of it was because of Chloé, but that made little difference, now. He filed this little piece of of information carefully in his mind, making a mental note to have Markov add it to her actual file.

Was keeping files of all his classmates and teachers weird? Probably. Did he care? Not at all.

When Marinette finished her rant, she looked him over. Not in the I-find-you-attractive way, but more in the are-you-useful-to-me way. It made a suppressed shiver travel up his spine. She didn't look like the kind, sweet girl he had previously thought he was. Instead, she looked calculating, decisive. The other three settled half a step behind her, reinforcing the look of a Leader.

Max also stored that info in his mental-folder.

Marinette nodded to herself. "We'll talk to you later- about what exactly you know. Do keep your window unlocked, unless you'd like to have to get a new one."

It didn't take a genius to realize what that meant, so the Kanté boy figured it out quickly. He watched the four of them leave, and is suddenly reminded of the Miraculous Team. "Markov," He called, "Run the statistics of Adrien and Nathaniel being Filou and Chat Noir."

The little robot was silent for a minute, then two. Max couldn't blame him. There was a lot of information and possible, reasonable, excuses to factor in. And he was doing two statistic scans at the same time. Seven minutes passed before he got the results. "There is a 97.63% chance of Adrien Agreste being Chat Noir. There is a 94.85% chance Nathaniel Kurtzberg being Filou."

Those were some high numbers, especially since Marinette's were 99.98%.

He shakes his head to rid of the theories, and goes back to the courtyard.

He'll get his answers later.

* * *

Max was used to staying up late. Markov and him would talk numbers and theories, debunking crazy ones on reddit. On the days his mom was home, on Earth, he would talk to her about space and astronomy until dawn's light spread across the horizon and spilled into the sky. Those were his favorite days.

So when he heard his window slide open at 10:58 p.m., Markov had just gone to bed and he wasn't too tired. He turned to face Ladybug, who was closest to him. Chat was at her right, Queen Bee at her left, and Filou by the window. The first crossed her arms raising a brow hidden behind her mask.

He took that as a cue to speak.

"You are Marinette, as mentioned earlier, Filou is Nathaniel, and Chat Noir is Adrien. I assume Alya was Rena Rouge, and Nino was Carapace."

Ladybug nodded, strangely pleased. Max was smart, smarter than anyone on the Team. Logical, if a bit hubristic. "How did you find out?"

"Alya wanted me to try and find out Ladybug's identity. I wanted to confront her after I talk to you. I realized who Filou and Chat Noir were after you left. And since Alya's being Vengess, her 'outfit' being close in likeness to Rena Rouge's, it would be safe to assume she felt betrayed for being replaced by Filou. Since Carapace and Rena Rouge were dating, that would make Alya's boyfriend, Nino, Carapace. I have no intentions of telling anyone, as that would put as much danger on me as well as you four."

See? Logical.

Ladybug held out her hand, a small box in her palm. "My Team and I have debated over this for a while, and we've finally come to a decision. Max Kanté, we are lending you the Horse Miraculous, which grants the power of Teleportation. Use it for the greater good."

What?

Chloé came a little closer, a hand on Ladybug's shoulder as she leaned on her. "And this," she waved a bag with _MDC Originals_ printed on it, "Is a Team-Warming gift."

_What the fudge?_

Where was the logic in letting him be Pegasus again? He just figured out their identities! He'd sworn to keep them a secret! And, yeah, he was smart, but so was Marinette!

Ladybug must have seen his inner-turmoil, because she smiled softly. "Max, we chose you because you're, frankly, smarter than the rest of us. We're all idiots. Having someone who knows how to use his power to it's most effective is a win for us, even if we won't use Pegasus often."

Oh. That makes sense... sort of. The 'we're all idiots' part definitely isn't true. They all have good grades, except for Nathaniel, but the chance of it being the cause of him focusing more on his comic than homework is 76.49%.

"Um, alright." He grabbed the _MDC_ bag first, then the box. Setting the bag down on his desk chair carefully, he turned his attention to opening the box.

The god-like light revealed the same tiny floating horse, Kaalki if he recalled correctly, that defied the laws of physics. But he guessed physics don't apply to them, since they're magical creatures.

Kaalki deflates as soon as she sees him. "Oh, I am still tied to you. Have you become famous in the time I have not seen you?"

Max shook his head, mind whirring with possible answers to make the Kwami like him more. "No. But Pegasus has only been seen once, and that wasn't even on Earth."

The little god stared at him, smart enough to see the cogs in his mind spinning, quicker than most of her other Chosen. Finally, someone who wasn't completely incompetent.

"I grant you the permission to use my Miraculous."

Ladybug smiled at him, and so did the others. "Do you want to patrol with us? You'll be paired with me and Chat, since your new."

Max wasn't a very expressive person, almost bordering on reserved, but he could feel the grin spread across his face. It was wider than the day his Mom passed the astronaut tests, than the day he got to play in the Ultra Mecha Strike competition. "Kaalki, full gallop!"

He was 100% sure this would be the best night of his life.

* * *

While on patrol Ladybug made sure to 'lecture' him about how to properly care for Kwamis. Although they are gods and can take care of themselves, they are small and lonely. Even if they, like Kaalki, won't admit it.

He made sure to ask the small horse goddess what she wanted to eat when he got back. He didn't blink when she told him she wanted peppermint candies. Horses can eat peppermint, and Ladybug had already shared how weird their requests for food are. That fact seemed to only affect the Ladybug and Black Cat, though, since the Fox and Bee seemed to eat berries and honeycomb, respectively. And even some turtles and tortoises will drink natural tea, so Wayzz(if he remembers correctly) drinking it isn't all that surprising.

Despite the tiny goddess' original cold attitude, she looked extremely pleased and joyful as she ate the peppermint candies, floating next to the still-sleeping Markov.

Max couldn't wait for the little robot to, once again, meet Kaalki.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this is kinda short, but I didn't want this to let it collect dust in my drafts until I get inspiration.
> 
> Since most electronics can overheat, I would assume Markov can too, especially after seeing StarTrain. The little robot 'sleeps' in order to cool off.
> 
> I'm mostly sure I'll be doing a Marc fic, but I'm tied between the turtle and the mouse, and what names would I should give his superhero self. Or if I should give him a Miraculous at all.


	2. Miraculous App

Nathaniel was biased. He thought his mom was the best lawyer, and his sister the best bodyguard. Of course, Marc was the best writer and lover( _still_ feels weird to say) he could ever ask for. Even if they're the first he's had. And he definitely thought Max was a good new addition to the team(it totally wasn't because if he was added to the team he could make the app).

He didn't actually think the boy would do it- he had only made a few offhanded comments about it so far. But as the Kanté stood in front of him, he couldn't help but beam. Trixx was right beside him, floating just above his shoulder, grinning the same way he was. "You actually made it? That's so cool!"

Max pushed up his classes, pleased. "I've had Markov hack into it to upgrade the firewalls, and I've added a texting and calling function on this version. I'll be posting a version without it, for the civilian public. I will need to directly download the app onto your phones, as I don't want it accessible in an app store. People can track your location with texting and calls, and as our civilian identities aren't public knowledge, that could end badly. Who should go-"

Chloé threw a pink phone in his direction, not looking up from her computer. Marinette squawked as she recognized the small but detailed ladybug and black cat charms hanging from the top, and the black flower pattern on the back. " _Chloé!"_

The blonde huffed, not pausing her typing. She wanted to get these emails done by midnight. "What? Your the leader, you should get the app first."

Max lifted up the phone, typing in Marinette's password(how did he even get it?) and plugging the USB into her phone. "She's right. You'll need to test the app, though. I haven't seen how it works on mobile devices from different companies. I used Nathaniel and Marc's ideas for the different functions, though perhaps you'll have a few more ideas."

"Wait, what ideas?"

"The ideas you saved on the document."

"You mean the document on my computer?"

"Yes. I suggest you change your password to something more complicated than _BelovedAngel_ _Marc."_

The redhead's face rivalled his hair as he processed Max's word, looking very cute. Wide eyes, parted lips, pink cheeks. If he had his fox ears and tail, they would be standing straight up.

Chloé may have taken a picture. She may have also sent it to the group chat.

Trixx definitely laughed, patting his Chosen's cheeks. "Don't worry, kit. I'm sure your _beloved angel Marc_ would find it cute."

He only groaned in defeat, sinking into the chair and hiding his face in his hands.

* * *

Every first draft needs to be revised. Of course, the app was no exception. The constant revisions on the design to make it visually appealing on both computer and mobile took a couple of months, and even longer when they kept adding ideas and pages. The app ended up running slow on a few of the older phones, and it didn't even _work_ on Nathaniel's. Then it was found to be too complicated to report an akuma or amok, so they separated them. The amok and akuma icons were changed to white feathers and butterflies, respectively.

Then the self-help page(with an icon of a bee in a heart) crashed, due to the multitude of videos, pictures and links. The self-defence page(a turtle on a shield) followed soon after.

It took a few weeks to get them back up again, and a few more weeks for it to go back to how it originally looked. Marinette and Nathaniel, ever the creative minds, kept adding things to the app, especially updating how it looked.

The artistic-tips page(a fox on a sketchbook) and the studying-tips page(a horse on a notebook) were fine, though. Each of the aforementioned pages has the option for the public to add tips, links and/or videos for themselves. The questions page(a black cat next to a question mark) was made solely for a place for civilians to ask the questions they have. The answers page(a ladybug next to a speech bubble) was made for the purpose of answering those questions. The only video currently on it was an introduction to the app, and how to use it.

It wasn't completely done, but they can tell it'll be perfect.

* * *

Seven months. It took _seven months_ for them to finish the app. They couldn't be angry, though. It was meant for the public's benefit, too, so it had to be perfect. At least they could text and call each other, undetected. Marinette made sure to make Max's favorite pastries in order to thank him properly.

They left Max to getting the app setup on an actual app store, since they were completely clueless. To actually make it gain in popularity, they(as heroes) made sure to at least talk about it a little in front of the reporters. And then it blew up.

Sixteen _million_ people downloaded it. And, last they checked, there were only two million in Paris, and about nine million in London.

Everyone at school was talking about it, and they had to silence their phones with how many questions the people were submitting. Not everyone seemed to be happy about it, though. That information came whey decided to stay in the courtyard for lunch, in order to keep Adrien with them. Gabriel couldn't take him if he was at school.

Alya was tapping angrily at her phone, gnawing on her lip and rapidly tapping her foot. She was mumbling angrily to herself, something like _'fake wannabes'_ and _'these impostors should take this down.'_

Lila, despite her nice act, was obviously peeved. "It's okay, Alya. I'm sure Ladybug will take it down."

The proclaimed reporter stopped typing, looking at her 'friend', "Is she mad?"

"Of course she is. She almost cracked her phone with how hard she was holding it. I managed to calm her down though."

Marinette almost snorted. Well, she did, but not loud enough for them to hear. The two were sitting on the tables next to them, which was weird because they(the out-of-suit heroes and one civilian) were sitting down first.

Max continued typing, not bothering to comment and deciding to finish whatever updates Markov wanted. The said robot, however, had no intention of staying quiet. "There is a hundred percent chance she is _wrong._ There is also a hundred percent chance I can get her to leave in fifteen minutes."

Nathaniel was suddenly grateful for both the wire connecting Markov to Max's computer and the little robot's ability to keep their identities secret.

 _"Mon chouchou?"_ Marc's voice interrupted his thoughts, "Can I see Sean's clerk outfit again?"

The redhead hummed, sifting through a few papers before pulling one out. A tall man with a dark brown bad-boy haircut, forest green eyes and multiple piercings scowled at nothing. He was wearing a dress shirt, black pants, and a green apron you usually see in coffee shop AU's. A tag where the pocket of his shirt should be read, " _Hello, My name is Fuck off'._

Marc gently tugged it from their boyfriend's hand, placing it beside them before continuing to type.

They hadn't figured out their identities yet, though Nathaniel is sure his lover will soon. Maybe. They can jump to weird conclusions sometimes.

He waits until the black-haired lover has paused righting to kiss their cheek, grinning as pink bloomed on their cheeks, their eyes going wide. Marc turned to their boyfriend, "Nath! What was that for?"

"You looked cute."

Their face only seems to get redder.

A camera shutters, but Chloé's phone is already down by the time he looks at her. She's been taking a lot of pictures lately. Maybe to give to Marinette later? The girl has a ton on her wall, it wasn't a stretch if she wanted more.

The redhead shrugs, and goes back to drawing.

* * *

To say Max was surprised would be an understatement. A _major_ understatement. The unmasked heroes were all lying on a large, probably king-sized bed. Adrien seemed to be purring, and Chloé was definitely buzzing. Nath was squished between Chloé and Marinette, on his back texting someone on his phone - most likely Marc. Adrien was spooning Marinette, both of them asleep. Chloé was typing on her computer, lying on her stomach, unconscious buzzing mixing with an absent-minded humming.

The little kwamis were nowhere to be found, but he assumed Markov had seen them, if the little robot's excited beeping was anything to go by as he flew away from Max.

Nath's eyes caught his, and the redhead shrugged. "I was a bit confused, too. It helps with anxiety and stuff."

Chloé turned her head to see who Nathaniel was talking to, then turned back to her computer. "Come on - there's a some space between Nathaniel and I."

Max, despite being flustered and reluctant, laid down between the redhead and the blonde. He was rigid, stiff, uncomfortable being so near to someone his age. Chloé rolled her eyes, "This isn't a mannequin challenge, Kanté. Get comfy, cuz we're normally here a while."

The boy couldn't find it in himself to oppose. He's been Pegasus permanently for about a week now, and doing this was helpful, since physical touch is good for your cardiovascular health. Hugging or just touching in general reduces anxiety and stress, while also increasing your dopamine and serotonin. It was best for him to relax, like suggested, if he wishes to be in the best physical and mental state. Being anything less can make his work as Pegasus suffer.

And his school work, of course, but that mattered little compared to the threat of-

The alarms on their phones blared, the high pitches and low pitches soon accompanied by four simultaneous groans of displeasure. The alarm was designed to cause adrenaline to shoot through their veins, though that was mostly because they had listened to it while watching recorded akuma fights. So, they basically Pavlov'd themselves.

Not the point, though. The five of them announced their transformation lines, none of them as enthusiastic as it had been the first time any of them had gotten the Miraculous.

If any of them got their hands on Hawkmoth or Mayura, they wouldn't show any mercy.

* * *

Marinette frowned. Adrien, her 'just-a-friend', noticed, staring worriedly at her. "What's wrong?"

"I feel kinda bad." The blue-black haired girl pouted, dropping her pen and homework, "Chloé got her Miraculous back, despite the whole of Paris knowing her identity. And yet Kagami's identity is just known to Hawkmoth, but she didn't get her Akuma back."

Max ran through all the heroes that weren't currently present in his head: Viperion, Ryuko, Bunnyx, and Roi Singe. Viperion and Roi Singe are males, so they're disqualified. Bunnyx is obviously an adult, so she's out. Ryuko makes sense to be Kagami, since the girl is Japanese, and 'Ryuko' means 'Dragon Child' in said language.

Nathaniel shrugged, 'inking'(the redhead had told Max that was the proper terminology) on Marinette's monitor and texting Marc. "Then give it back to her."

The tiny, black-cat loving girl groaned, falling back on her bed, "It's not that simple. What if she tells someone?"

Tikki, munching on a cookie next to the other kwamis, gave her Chosen a sincere smile. "You know Kagami won't do that, Marinette. She is too kind and respects you too much for that to be possible."

Trixx grinned, swallowing his berry whole, "I don't know, bug. This girl is rich, yeah? All rich people are good at acting."

Pollen huffed, setting down her honeycomb on a napkin and crossing her arms. "You know that is false, Trixx. And it is impolite to make such assumptions on someone you have not met."

Plagg rolled his eyes, "Your almost as bad as Sugarcube. A little caution isn't _so_ bad."

"Says you, the Kwami of destruction, chaos, and misfortune."

"What's that supposed to mean!?"

Kaalki hummed, "It means, Black Cat, your opinions will lean more towards things that may turn out to be undesirable."

The Kwami grumbled in annoyance, but knew she was right. His suggestions often got his Chosen in trouble, even though they were only said in an attempt to help. Tikki shook her head, though, "Plagg's right, though. Caution isn't a bad thing right now. The more of us that hang out together as civilians, the more noticeable it will be to figure out who our holders are. The magic has already failed us thrice, and we are only lucky those people were ones we could trust."

Adrien shook his head, "Four times, actually. It didn't stop me from figuring out M'Lady's identity."

Trixx waved his tiny arm in the direction of the blond, "Even worse."

Chloé rolled her eyes. "Fine, one of us can scout her out after school or something to make sure she's 'trustworthy.'"

Adrien raised his hand, "I volunteer as tribute!" He grinned a little wider, "She takes fencing with me, so I can talk to her then."

Marinette nodded, steel determination in her blue bell eyes, "Alright. It's settled then."

And then they went back to whatever they were doing before, anticipating tomorrow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did most of this at school. Also, fun fact: this is the first named chapter of the series! This is also the first chapter to be un-reread before I post it, so I apologize for any mistakes I may have made. I just didn't want it to sink into the void of my untouched drafts. I hope you enjoyed the chapter!

**Author's Note:**

> I know this is kinda short, but I didn't want this to let it collect dust in my drafts until I get inspiration.
> 
> Since most electronics can overheat, I would assume Markov can too, especially after seeing StarTrain. The little robot 'sleeps' in order to cool off.
> 
> I'm mostly sure I'll be doing a Marc fic, but I'm tied between the turtle and the mouse, and what names would I should give his superhero self. Or if I should give him a Miraculous at all.


End file.
